Fertility Issues for Men after Cancer Treatment

"Chemotherapy can affect fertility, but most of the time, if the person is fertile to begin with, a year or two after receiving chemotherapy the sperm count will come back." — Philip Kantoff, MD

Fertility Issues for Men after Cancer

Some types of cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery, may cause temporary or permanent infertility. While not all patients are at risk, be sure to speak with your doctor if infertility is a concern for you.

What You Can Do

Before you begin cancer treatment, talk with your doctor about whether you should be concerned about infertility. You can use these questions to guide your conversation:

What are my options to preserve my fertility before, during, or after my cancer treatment?

What is the best recommended option for me, given my cancer type and treatment?

When might it be safe for me to start a family after my cancer treatment?

Where can I learn more?

Talk with us. You may also want to consider Dana-Farber's Sexual Health Program, whose staff includes a fertility expert specializing in fertility and reproductive health during and after cancer treatment.